They've challenged, chased and cajoled each other into the best seasons of their young careers. They've learned together, grown together, even simultaneously chafed about the playing time that finally has become unquestioned this year.

Welcome to Sports Weekly's second annual Most Intriguing Players list. It's simple. A list of 30 players, one from each team, who have gotten my attention, either in a good or a bad way, and who should be watched carefully from now through spring training.

The Chicago Cubs are trying to move past the latest distraction in a disappointing season. Volatile outfielder Milton Bradley was suspended for the rest of the year Sunday, a day after criticizing the team in a newspaper interview.

Milton Bradley's season is finished. Perhaps his days with the Chicago Cubs are, too. The Cubs suspended their volatile outfielder for the rest of the season Sunday, one day after he criticized the team in a newspaper interview.

As Tigers manager Jim Leyland puts it, you either play good enough or you don't. So far, his team has played well enough to lead the AL Central Division by four games not well enough to put away the Minnesota Twins, who host Detroit in a three-game series beginning Friday.

The Red Sox couldn't be sure what to expect from Daisuke Matsuzaka on Tuesday. Probably the last thing they expected were the six shutout innings he pitched in a 4-1 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.

Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome had two-run hits in a record-tying first inning and the Chicago Cubs handed the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates their 11th loss in 12 games, 9-4 on Tuesday night.